Hi guys! Long time no... well.. update, and for that I am very sorry. As you know I've been having a hard time coming up with ideas of the story. Well, this I wrote a couple of weeks ago and again I'm stuck, but I thought I'd publish it and ask you to share your ideas of what happens next. Base story: they fight Qi'tar, it's how the fight plays out that I can't picture at the moment. I can't guarantee that I will use your ideas but reading them would be a way to get my brain working again I think ;)

She had a point. The area was filled with swarmborn, all of them polluted the same way as the paragon. All of them drained of color, wild at gaze, flying around... Malik squinted as he tried to see better. Was that... Was that eggs they were guarding? Untainted eggs? It could not be!

"Wakener," he spoke without taking his eyes of the oval, rich yellow eggs. "You must fight your way through the swarmborn, clear the area around those eggs. I must have a closer look at them."

Scowling the Wakener looked between him and the swarmborn. "It would be faster if you did it yourself," she carefully stated.

"Yes," he agreed. "However then I would not be able to observe your... capacities." He looked at her when she didn't move. Her gaze was set on her foes, but she remained unmoving. Was she perhaps considering her alternatives? Building a strategy around her foes weaknesses? If so the process was too slow. "What are you waiting for?"

She didn't answer, instead she stood and carefully approached the hatchlings. A pinkish, mist-like aura began to take shape around her hands. Malik watched with interest as the Wakener used what he assumed was some kind of magic to defeat her enemies; the pink magic formed to spheres and missiles that launched upon the mantids, it gathered around their carapaces before it struck hard against them as it exploded.

Her technique was interesting, powerful, but not enough. Though her spells destroyed her foes it did not protect her well from their clawing and thrashing. They outnumbered her and several times they damaged her, broke her fragile... shell? Malik didn't know the term nor did he care; it was useless, broke as soon as the swarmborn clawed it.

When a swarmkeeper interfered the Unscathed confirmed the theory he had built up in his mind; as the Wakener herself used magic she was a ranged combatant, her strength being to stand at a distance and let her magic destroy her enemies. This did not do. He had a lot of work to do if he wanted to make her useful; only the weak augmented with sorcery and he could not allow her to remain weak.

Adjusting his grip about his halberd he decided he had seen enough and leaped into battle. A battle that was over after three swings of his weapon. Without meeting the gaze from his Wakener or even speaking a word he went over to one of the eggs.

Untainted indeed, he confirmed as he let his hand run over the hard surface. Good. These would be the citizens of the new empire.

A wail from the corrupted paragon reminded Malik of the more serious matters they had on their hands. The swarmkeepers didn't have time to taint these eggs while he and the Wakener took care of their other matters. They would be safe for the time being.

As Malik stood he looked upon his Wakener who seemed to have stood silent, observing him as he examined the egg. His gaze traveled to his fallen brother then back to the horned creature. "We will put him out of his misery," Malik said.

"You are going to help?"

Malik nodded. "Yes. It would be a waste to let you die this soon."

The Wakener grimaced in disapproval but said nothing. Instead she turned looking at their opponent. "Do you know him?"

Now why did she ask him that? Was she perhaps concerned over emotional bonds between paragons? Or perhaps she just wanted him to share what he knew about the fallen's abilities. "No. I do not. And I don't suppose Kor'ik gave you any vital information about this one?"

"No," the Wakener murmured.

"Then we will have to adapt. I presume your specie isn't all too unfamiliar with the term." Oh, that blazing look of annoyance on her face was amusing.

"I know about it and I can do it," she muttered her answer.

"Good." He had already presumed that would be her answer, but he found it oddly enjoyable to tease her. Perhaps it was only the circumstances that allowed him to take these inappropriate actions. It wasn't like him to tease; he was a strategist and a combatant, nothing else.

With his halberd in yet another adjusted grip he was ready to put his fellow paragon down and he hoped the Wakener was as well. The task ahead was a tough one; they knew little of their foe and too little about one another to make this smooth. Not that he needed the aid of a lesser being, but he had to take that corrupting force in account. The Klaxxi had briefed him of the Wakener's earlier encounter with a... "dreadcaster" and she had come out victorious. However she had survived it surely could come in handy here, if she could do it again that is.

The corrupted paragon noticed them the moment they stepped to the other side of the surrounding bars that kept him trapped, his head snapping their way. Strange lines marked his face, that black and white energy seeping from them as though someone had carved the markings into his face, opening his chitin. His eyes glowed yellow in a mad kind of way and his mandibles constantly moved in cramped motions. "I will not be controlled!" he shrieked and hurled a spell their way. A spell that on impact with the bars splashed with the same magic that splashed around him.

Malik and the Wakener was both quickly out of the way of the spell, but Malik could feel the same sensation he had felt before his wakening drawing past him with the spell. This power must be seeking to corrupt them all. But this was no mantid sorcery, what had the Empress come across?

As you noticed I did a little change with the whole corruption; you might remember Qi'tar having a mask like so many other corrupted people? Well, I hate those. They are so ugly and there is no explanation to how they get there. So I decided I will make my own "show of corruption" where the Sha energy simply, well, burns into the skin/flesh/chitin. I'm sorry for those of you who prefer the masks but I simply don't want them to exist at all.

This was another short chapter but I hope you liked it anyway. Hopefully next one will be longer and come soon! Take care you guys and thanks for bearing with me and my lacking uploads!